


Oh, Merlin

by Sherlyspride



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-02 18:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15801924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherlyspride/pseuds/Sherlyspride
Summary: Sirius Black is on the loose, so Y/N and her daughter seek protection at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, as old ties ensure that he's not just after Harry Potter...





	1. 1.0

Everyone had heard of Harry Potter, the boy who brought an end to he-who-must-not-be-named, the boy that now lived at Privet Drive with his muggle aunt, uncle and cousin. Everyone knew of the strange shaped scare upon his forehead, and how his parents had died in order to protect him.

But no-one knew of the young girl who lived on the other side of England. The pre-teen that lived her life like any normal girl, who went to school every morning and came home every night to her mother, who welcomed her with a home cooked meal and open arms.

No one knew of her and no one needed too. As far as the world was concerned, there was nothing special about her. Nothing at all.

Of course, that wasn't true.

Her mother had kept a big secret from her for the last 10 years. A secret so huge, she altered her entire live to keep it hidden away.   
She'd moved houses, changed names, re-created her closet and even altered the way she spoke. But even then, she knew it would never stay a secret. She knew that one day everything would change. She knew she'd be forced to move back, throw away her clothes and return to her traditional way of speaking.   
Yet, she didn't mind. In fact, she was eager to return. Too long she'd spent in the shadows, hiding herself from not only the community around her but from her own child. So, she took matters into her own hands. There was no possible way she'd be able to wait a complete year, she'd already taken too long.

That night she unlocked her old, worn out trunk and pulled out something she hadn't seen in what seemed forever. Her quill. It took her hours to craft the perfect letter, but when she finally did, she sighed in relief and sent it off. It was only two weeks later that she asked her daughter to sit, taking a deep breath as she rehearsed the speech over and over in her head.

"Morgan, I have something to tell you." She sat down as the young girl stared up at her, eyes wide with confusion. "There's something you need to know."

Morgan nodded, confused but still eager for her mother to continue. This couldn't possibly be about her father, could it?

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just spit it out." The older woman took a few deep breaths, even shaking her head and lowly muttering to herself for a moment.

Morgan's mind ran at a thousand miles a minute, this was it. Her mother finally thought she was old enough to know the truth, to know who her father was and what he was doing. She screwed her eyes shut with anticipation, already imagining who he could be and what he'd look like. What was his name? Did he like milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Or did he favour white chocolate above all else? What was his job? Did he have a beard? Did she really have his eyes? Why did he leave her mother? Why did he leave her?

After all this time, did he want to meet her?

Her mother stared down at her, eyes instantly glazing over as she studied the tiny human. Maybe she was wrong and she wasn't ready yet. She was still a child, she shouldn't have wrote to Dumbledore. How could she put her own needs in front of her child's health?

Then she shook her head, silently cursing at herself. Morgan wasn't weak, she wasn't a tiny child and she was definitely ready.

"Morgan, hunny..." taking one last, deep breath, she spilled the beans. "I'm a witch."

Morgan clearly wasn't expecting it, as she suddenly snapped her eyes open and stared up at her mother. It seemed that a fire had lit inside her, as she angrily shook her head. "Are you joking? That's not funny, mum. I thought you were going to tell me something serious but you were just prank me! Wh-"

Morgan's words tuned out, her mother now wide eyed. She had ran over multiple possible reactions her daughter could have in her head, but she never expected that. "I'm not lying, or joking, Morgan."

"Really?" Morgan looked around, mouth wide as she let out an angry huff. "Prove it."

Now Y/N had been expecting that, so she instantly reached behind her and to the waistband of her jeans, where she pulled a long, slim, wooden stick out.

Her daughter watched with judgmental eyes as Y/N pointed her wand across the room and muttered something under her breath. Morgan's eyes widened as a large cake lifted off the kitchen bench and made its way across to them, floating in the air as it did so.

"I-uh- w-w-" while Morgan stuttered over her words, Y/N did the same to a knife and two plates, bringing them over so she could cut two slices of cake and push one over to the young girl.

"Enough proof for you?" Y/N couldn't help but smirk as the words left her mouth, her daughter nodding hysterically as she eyed the cake. "Now, I told you this because you're no squib."

Morgan arched her eyebrow at the last word, silently asking for context. Y/N ignored her and continued on. "Students usually start at Hogwarts after their eleventh birthday. I wrote to the headmaster, Dumbledore, and he's allowed you to come a year early."

Morgan's eyebrows furrowed, he lips turning into a confused type pout. "I don't understand."

"Morgan," Y/N took another deep breath, tipping the corners of her lips into a genuine smile. "You're a witch, too and you're going to go to a school that teaches you magic."

Morgan's eyes lit up like an American sky on the 4th of July. She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling to widely, he eyes roaming across her mother's face to see if she was lying or not. They remained like this for a while, Morgan over the moon while her mother studied her, a smile on her own face.

Suddenly, as if a switch had flicked, Morgan's face dropped and her eyes darted to the ground.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Y/n whispered softly, as if not to spook her.

"It's just-" she sighed but tried to cover it up.

"If you don't want to go then you don't have to, there's always next year." The older woman spoke softly, her hand coming to tuck a strand behind her child's ear.

"It's not that, mum." Morgan licked her lips but didn't look up from the ground. "It's just, what about you? I can't leave you here, all alone."

She was shocked when she heard her mother laugh softly, her eyes instantly glancing up at her. Y/n's smile was bigger than ever, eyes glinting as the light reflected off them.

"Oh hunny, don't worry." Her voice was still as soft as honey. "I'll be coming, too."

Morgan's eyes widened, eyebrows darting up her forehead. "Y-you will?"

"Of course, Dumbledore has asked me to teach Muggle Studies."

Morgan's eyebrows instantly dropped so low that they almost cover her eyes. "What's a m-muggle?"

Y/n laughed again, shaking her head. "Oh Merlin, you have so much to learn."


	2. 2.0

Morgan smiled as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. The train had just started to roll, as they filed to the back of the cart, Hermione looking through each door for an empty compartment. Morgan just spent her last few days of her holidays with Harry and her mother, Y/N, at the Leaky Cauldron. It was a surprisingly good time, Harry and her running through all the magical stores but constantly going back into Quality Quidditch Supplies to check out the firebolt, while her mother caught up with some old friends. The rest of the group had joined them on the last day, everyone gathering for a family dinner before getting into some Ministry cars and getting to platform 9 and 3 quarters. Now Ron and Harry followed Hermione into one of the rooms, Morgan walking through last. Her eyes instantly lit up as she saw the man sleeping in the corner of the room, covered in old, shabby robes, the other girl reading his name from a case overhead.

“I know him.” The words left her mouth before she could think them through, quickly gathering her things and sitting on the seat next to him.

“You do?” Ron glanced at her in surprise, slowly sitting on the seat opposite the grown man.

Morgan’s smile only widened, “yeah. He’s my uncle.”

Harry and Hermione took one more glance at him, before also sitting down. “Why’s he in the student’s carts?”

She shrugged at this, turning her attention to Hermione. “I don’t know, I thought he’d go to sit with my mum.”

A brief silence fell over the cart, three of the four students quickly glancing at the out of place man. Morgan, uncomfortable from the looks, decided to step in. “Anyway, you had something to tell us Harry?”

Apart from the whole dementors situation, Y/N quiet enjoyed her journey to Hogwarts. She was filled with excitement as she thought about seeing her brother once again but was disappointed that he didn’t come and sit with her on the train. However, he came to visit on the holidays, as he usually did, and even allowed her to convince him to take the job as professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. She liked to think he took the job as he wanted to teach the students, but she had a gut feeling that it was because of something else.

Or more like someone else.

Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban, the most secure prison in the world and they both knew he’d be coming to Hogwarts. So it was more likely that Remus had come back to the school of witchcraft and wizardry to protect not only her, but Harry.

The second the train came to a stop, Y/N jumped from her seat and out the door. She easily spotted Remus, his head bobbing above all the rest. Instead of calling his name, she made her way through the crowd and tapped his back. He turned around, his eyes wide with confusion before he spotted her. Immediately he leaned down, wrapping his arms around her much smaller frame. She followed suit, standing on the tips of her toes to make it easier for him.

“Merlin, I missed you.” She muttered, voice muffled as she shoved her face into the crook of his neck.

They pulled away and jumped into conversation, the older Lupin filling her in about Harry fainting. Y/N felt the usual tug of motherly care, itching to find the boy and wrap him in a hug. During the last two years she formed a bond with her daughters three best friends. It was almost like she took over from their parents (or horrible, bland, boring, muggle guardians) and wanted nothing more than to protect and support them. She even sent an owl to Mr and Mrs Weasley, informing them of their children’s wellbeing and a letter to Mr and Mrs Granger doing the same. She didn’t bother with Mr and Mrs Dursley, knowing that they didn’t care. She desperately wished things were different, wished that James and Lily never died, or that if they did, then she could’ve taken the baby boy under her wing.

Y/N knew about the danger Harry was now in and she was deeply glad that Remus was there. She wanted to find Harry, warn him about Black and tell him the complete and utter truth. But she couldn’t.

So, she settled for keeping her eyes on him. Because if she did tell him the ugly truth, there was a chance that he’d never trust her againMorgan smiled as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. The train had just started to roll, as they filed to the back of the cart, Hermione looking through each door for an empty compartment. Morgan just spent her last few days of her holidays with Harry and her mother, Y/N, at the Leaky Cauldron. It was a surprisingly good time, Harry and her running through all the magical stores but constantly going back into Quality Quidditch Supplies to check out the firebolt, while her mother caught up with some old friends. The rest of the group had joined them on the last day, everyone gathering for a family dinner before getting into some Ministry cars and getting to platform 9 and 3 quarters. Now Ron and Harry followed Hermione into one of the rooms, Morgan walking through last. Her eyes instantly lit up as she saw the man sleeping in the corner of the room, covered in old, shabby robes, the other girl reading his name from a case overhead.

“I know him.” The words left her mouth before she could think them through, quickly gathering her things and sitting on the seat next to him.

“You do?” Ron glanced at her in surprise, slowly sitting on the seat opposite the grown man.

Morgan’s smile only widened, “yeah. He’s my uncle.”

Harry and Hermione took one more glance at him, before also sitting down. “Why’s he in the student’s carts?”

She shrugged at this, turning her attention to Hermione. “I don’t know, I thought he’d go to sit with my mum.”

A brief silence fell over the cart, three of the four students quickly glancing at the out of place man. Morgan, uncomfortable from the looks, decided to step in. “Anyway, you had something to tell us Harry?”

Apart from the whole dementors situation, Y/N quiet enjoyed her journey to Hogwarts. She was filled with excitement as she thought about seeing her brother once again but was disappointed that he didn’t come and sit with her on the train. However, he came to visit on the holidays, as he usually did, and even allowed her to convince him to take the job as professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. She liked to think he took the job as he wanted to teach the students, but she had a gut feeling that it was because of something else.

Or more like someone else.

Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban, the most secure prison in the world and they both knew he’d be coming to Hogwarts. So it was more likely that Remus had come back to the school of witchcraft and wizardry to protect not only her, but Harry.

The second the train came to a stop, Y/N jumped from her seat and out the door. She easily spotted Remus, his head bobbing above all the rest. Instead of calling his name, she made her way through the crowd and tapped his back. He turned around, his eyes wide with confusion before he spotted her. Immediately he leaned down, wrapping his arms around her much smaller frame. She followed suit, standing on the tips of her toes to make it easier for him.

“Merlin, I missed you.” She muttered, voice muffled as she shoved her face into the crook of his neck.

They pulled away and jumped into conversation, the older Lupin filling her in about Harry fainting. Y/N felt the usual tug of motherly care, itching to find the boy and wrap him in a hug. During the last two years she formed a bond with her daughters three best friends. It was almost like she took over from their parents (or horrible, bland, boring, muggle guardians) and wanted nothing more than to protect and support them. She even sent an owl to Mr and Mrs Weasley, informing them of their children’s wellbeing and a letter to Mr and Mrs Granger doing the same. She didn’t bother with Mr and Mrs Dursley, knowing that they didn’t care. She desperately wished things were different, wished that James and Lily never died, or that if they did, then she could’ve taken the baby boy under her wing.

Y/N knew about the danger Harry was now in and she was deeply glad that Remus was there. She wanted to find Harry, warn him about Black and tell him the complete and utter truth. But she couldn’t.

So, she settled for keeping her eyes on him. Because if she did tell him the ugly truth, there was a chance that he’d never trust her again


	3. 3.0

The school year started like any other, with Morgan slipping into her daily routine and Y/N teaching students about the muggle world. Morgan expected it to all be a drag, with the prison guards blocking all the exits and the escape of Sirius Black looming over the school. But it had been good.

And then she had her first divination lesson.   
  
  


At first not even the unusually long and confusing journey to the classroom could settle her excitement. She had read into the subject through the holidays, pondering over the thought of seeing and predicting the future. If she could look into the future, maybe she could look into the past too. And despite her mother never talking about her father or where he was, her thoughts always seemed to wonder to him. She itched to find out more, to find out what he looked like, what he did, what his middle name was.

Harry and Ron shared a table, Morgan and Hermione on the one to their left. After Mrs Trelawney give her speech, the class jumped into reading their partners tea leaves. The teacher had just finished reading Harry's, shocking the class into silence, when she made her way over to the two girls.

"Let me have a look, Morgan." She took Morgan's cup, looking into it with an intense stare. And at once her mouth widened, eyes following suit.

"Oh dear." The class collectively looked at Morgan, each student with a different expression. "The leaves say that something is going to be uncovered. Something you've always wanted to know."

Morgan's heart started pumping faster, could this be about her father?

"And it will be the most disappointing, heartbreaking, turn of events."

Her head started to throb, heartbreak? How could it possibly be a turn of events?

"It's going to send you into a pit of suffering, depression even. And you'll never be able to see your hero the same again."

Her hero? Her mind started to run through the possibilities. Could it be Dumbledore? Or Hagrid? Or even Harry?

"But at least you'll finally know the truth."

Hermione scoffed beside her, drawing all the attention to her. "You read all that from some tea leaves?"

Mrs Trelawney glared pointedly at the brown haired girl, before putting Morgan's tea cup down and moving on to the next table.

Ron and Harry stared at her with raised eyebrows, Harry even looked a little frightened.

"What do you think she's talking about?" Ron asked, leaning towards Hermione and Morgan.

Morgan had told them all about her father, or more like the lack of a father. But she didn't feel comfortable speaking about it now, the stares of students burning a hole into the back of her head. "I'll tel you later."

And that had been it, the lesson ended like any other and they moved onto the next lesson.

On the other side of school Miss L/N sat at her desk, having just dismissed her class. She had a free period now, and decided that instead of retiring to the teachers break room, or her own chambers, she'd stay in her classroom. She knew some students needed to see her about the awfully confusing 'remote control', anyway.

She pulled out her quill and the pile of ever growing homework, going through each of them and marking them out of ten. She'd been there for 20 minutes when her eye started to droop and her quill slipped out of her hand. And then the next minute she was outside.

She turned around, observing her surroundings and instantly recognising the house behind her. It was her house, the house where Morgan grew up. Her lips tilted up in a smile, remembering all the memories made inside the four walls. She thought back to the first time she had walked in. Her stomach was swollen, hand lying on it. The place was a fixer upper, so she had called in Remus to help her fix it up.

Then she thought to the day she brought Morgan home. She was so small then, drowning in a thick, pink blanket from the hospital. Y/N had placed her in a white cot, wondering how the hell she was going to do this. Wasn't raising a child, alone, hard? Then there was more. Morgan's first steps, her first words, first day at school. The first time she brought a friend over, her first sleepover. Then more recent things. How she explained Hogwarts and magic to Morgan, and how she helped her pack her drunk for the first time.

Y/N wasn't afraid to admit that this house was one of the biggest parts of her life, one of the most crucial turning points. So when she was faced with the reality that they wouldn't be home for most of the year, she refused to sell it. Giving this house away was like giving away 12 years of her life.

She was snapped out of thought as a twig snapped behind her. She reeled around, looking into the darkness.

"Lumos." The tip of her wand started to glow, uncovering the darkness.

She instantly jumped back, tripping over a stick and slamming into the ground. There was a massive wolf staring at her, fur as dark as night.

A sharp pain ran up her arm but she ignored it.

"Padfoot-"

She jumped awake, eyes snapping up to the tall figure in front of her.

"Y/n, are you okay?" Remus asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Y-yeah." She took a deep breath, struggling to calm her nerves. "I-uh-I just remembered something..."

Remus nodded at her, asking her to continue.

"It was h-him, Remus." Her voice was breathy and small, almost disappearing before it even reaches his ears.

His eyes widened, face dropping. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Sirius Black is coming."


	4. 4.0

"Mum, it was so funny." Morgan sat at the table across from Y/N. "Snape came out and then suddenly he was dressed in the most ridiculous clothes. I almost peed myself because I was laughing so hard."

Every week they sat together for dinner, the house elves setting up a separate room for them.

Y/n smiled, imaging what it would look like. "Wow, just wait until he hears about it."

Morgan shook her head gently, a large smile still placed on her face. "Poor Neville, he's going to get so much backlash."

They talked for a bit more, Morgan setting a more vivid image for her mother.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you see?" Y/n stabbed a sausage with her fork, cutting it down to eating size.

"Uhm." Morgans mouth was full, but as soon as she swallowed she lept into her story. "Mine was Peenywise, from It."

Y/n couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, imagining the movie monster waddling around the classroom.

"Hardly anyone understood." Morgan shook her head, the smile having yet to disappear. "But I put I made it rainbow and couldn't stop laughing."

"It sounds like you had a very fun filled lesson." They continued to chat mindlessly for a while. However, Morgan seemed to have something stuck on the tip of her tongue. Y/N had instantly noticed- after all she did know the young girl like the back of her hand.

"Just spit it out," she said, taking another bite of her sausage.

Morgans cheeks flushed slightly, "I was just wondering something..."

Y/n hummed, encouraging her to continue.

"And, well, I was just wondering what your Boggart looks like." She stuttered over her words, clearly embarrassed about the matter.

The older of the two was taken back, her own cheeks darkening a little. "Well-uh- I've never faced one."

Morgan watched as her mum tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Why was she lying? Surly it wasn't a big deal. But instead of confronting her, she thought it would be best to play along. "Really? I thought a witch with as much experience as you would've faced one."

Y/n forced a chuckle, looking at her food with a new found interest. "Come to think of it, I think I did see one once. It was a clown." Her statement came out more like a question.

"Oh, I can understand that. Clowns are pretty scary."

They both let out awkwardly forced laughs, then ate in silence. Tension filled the air, both too afraid to break it. And then they both spoke at the same time

"I'm going to the Gryffindor common room."

"I'm going to go to see Remus."

They both instantly stood up, before quickly disposing of their dishes and heading to the door. "See you later, mum."

"Be safe, hunny."  And then they walked in opposite directions.

Y/N speed walked down the hallway, breathing heavily as she searched the castle. She eventually found him in his classroom, marking his own classes homework.

"Y/N, are you okay? You seem to be breathing quiet heavily." He didn't even lift his glance from the parchment.

"Morgan told me about how her class challenged the boggart today."

At this, Remus put the work on the table and lifted his glance to his sister. "And?"

"You didn't tell me you found one."

Remus pursed his lips slightly. "No, I didn't."

"I need to see it," her breathing had yet to even out. "Please."

"Y/n, I don't think that's a good idea-"

She let out a final breath. "Please, Remus. Please."

He slowly nodded, standing from his chair and heading to the staff room. Y/N followed behind him, heart racing as she thought about what was about to happen. When they made it there, Remus stepped aside and let her walk in first. He then closed the door and locked it with a charm, coming to stand beside her.

"Are you sure about this?"

Y/N didn't trust her voice and instead nodded. He gave her one last look, then pointed his wand and opened the wardrobe.

Morgan heard her gasp from behind the door, quickly followed by a gut-wrenching sob. She ached to open it, to catch her mother out for lying. Slowly, she brought her hand up to rest on the doorknob, but she couldn't find it in herself to turn it. She heard Remus's words of comfort, his soft voice slowly but surely calming down her mother.

What could possibly be that bad that her mother couldn't tell her. She told her everything and Morgan told her everything in return. Didn't she trust her with this? Or did she simply want to protect her?

After half an hour of eavesdropping, the crying died down and footsteps came towards the door. Morgan jumped out of sight, hiding behind a tapestry opposite the opening.

She watched as her mother exited, head bent to hide her red, puffy eyes. She then saw Remus step out behind her, wrapping his long arms around her frame. "I told you it wasn't a good idea." His voice was as soft as honey, accompanied by his hands running up and down her arms soothingly. Y/n only hummed in response but she didn't seem sorry. But she seemed completely and utterly drained, both physically and mentally. Her eyes sported big, dark bags and her posture was bent into an 'r' shape. It was as if she had aged 10 years in 10 minutes.

Morgan watched as they disappeared down the hallway, her own mind running a million miles a minute. She then stepped out of her hiding space, eyes tracing where they had once been.

"You okay, Morgan?" The voice startled her, causing her to fling around. Her heart jumped at the sight, Fred was standing in the middle of the hallway, his eyebrows arched in worry.

Before she could even lie and tell him she was okay, her head starting to shake violently from side to side. Fred came up beside her, hands rubbing up and down her arms, much alike Remus had done only moments ago to her mother.

What the hell was in that bloody closet? Her chest began to tighten and she found herself clinging onto the ginger boy. She shoved her face into the crook of his neck, quiet sobs escaping her own mouth.

"Air, you need air."

As she looked up her sight began to fade in and out, the room going from blurry to sharp every few seconds. She only slightly noticed as Fred pulled her along. "W-We can't go outside."

Fred then wrapped his arms completely around her waist, pulling her up and over his shoulder. "Too bad."

Morgan's breath only became more ragid, her hands gripping tightly onto his back, searching for something, anything. She was in a state of pure panic, her heart going so fast she thought it might rip out of her ripcage. She then dug her face into her back, tightly closing her eyes as her fists clenched his robes.

She lost track of time, but eventually she looked up and saw the dark sky. The wind blew through her hair, pulling it out of her face. Fred slowly put her down but placed his hands on top of hers, rubbing his thumbs in soothing circles. She found herself staring into his brown eyes, getting lost in them. Her heart rate finally returned to normal and her breath evened out.

"I-I'm sorry about all that." She stuttered, her cheeks tinted red in embarrassment.

She expected Fred to make one of his usual jokes, however he continued to stare intently into her eyes. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

They stayed like that for a while, taking each other in. She studied each and everyone of his freckles, committing them to memory. Her hands wanted to come forward and run through his hair, feel it slide between her digits.

Meanwhile, his eyes kept flicking down to her lips, desperate to know what they tasted like. He leaned forward slightly, craving to feel them along his own. Then he jumped back. They couldn't do this, it was wrong.

Morgan was too young, to innocent. He should see her as a younger sister, just like he saw Hermione. But he just couldn't. There was something about her, something that made him to be the best person he could be, something that made him want to prove himself.

Morgan had seen him lean forward and then jump back. She couldn't lie, her feelings were somewhat hurt. But a part of her was grateful that he did. She should see him like she sees George, like an older brother. If he had kissed her, like part of her wished he did, she'd never be able to see him like that. She should be interested in people own age, people like Harry and Ron. But they just lacked something, something that Fred seemed to possess.

"I-I think you should go." She spoke softly.

Fred didn't move a muscle, perhaps she had spoken too softly. She then went to repeat herself when he swiftly stood up. "Yeah, you're right."

He turned his back and went to walk away, then abruptly stopped. "Y/n, make sure you come in soon. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."

And then he was gone.

If Morgan's mind was a mess before, it was nothing compared to now. She not only had to worry about her mother's secretive boggart but Fred, too. Sure, she could talk too Harry, Ron and Hermione about her mum but there was no way she was spilling her guts about Fred. First off, Fred is Ron's older brother. Sure, Harry was useful for a lot but he was absolutely useless in this compartment. And Hermione isn't one to talk about romance, so she can't offer any help either.

Then there was Y/N. Usually she felt she could talk to her mum about these thing, but the events which had just occurred broke her trust a little. So, she wasn't going to tell her mum until her mum told her about the boggart.

What she really needed was someone who she could just sit and talk to. Someone who would offer endless support without even needing to open their mouth.  An almost silent 'please' left her lips as she thought about it. Morgan didn't even notice when she lied back on the grass, eyes staring into the starry sky as she ran through her thoughts. She had no idea how long she stayed there but it must've been at least an hour. Some part of her hopped Fred would come back out to get her, snatch her up into his arms and demand she come in and warm up in front of the fire.

Her heart raced as a branch snapped beside her, she hurriedly sat up but was met with only darkness.

"Fred, is that you?" 

Her heart sunk as the only reply was another snapped branch. Whoever, or whatever it was, it wasn't Fred. He'd never prank her like this, especially after what just happened. Would he?

"F-Fred?" 

And then the thing in question stepped into the light.She instantly grasped inside her robe, pulling out her wand. A big, black wolf stood half in light. It's fur was matted and ruffled. Morgan thought of spells she could use to defend herself if things went south. Then her mind wandered back to one of the last things she said. Could this be it? Could this dog (or was it a wolf?) possibly be her person to talk too? To confess her deepest and darkest troubles too?

With shaky hands, she placed her wand back into her robe. Her leg quivered as she stepped forward. The dog stepped back, an almost confused and frightened look on it's face.

"H-hey, it's okay." She spoke meekly, taking another step forward. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The dog seemed to understand, as it didn't take another step back, but instead tilted it's head.

"C-Can I p-pat you?" She felt a little silly for talking to an animal, but also thought it was necessary. 

She continued to walk towards the animal and when she was only an arms length away, she reached forward and stopped just above it's head. "I hope this okay." And then she dropped her hand. The dog stiffened for moment, unsure. But as soon as she started to rub behind it's ear, they loosened up.

Within minutes she was sitting back on the grass, the dogs head in her lap as she continued to pat it.

"Aren't you a good boy?" She cooed, running her hands over his glabella. 

The dog whined, wagging its tail slightly. "We should give you a name." She thought hard, pitching different names. He must've been somewhat magical, as he seemed to understand her.

"What about George?"  _Another shake._  "Bob?"  _Shake_. "Buddy?"  _Shake_. "Rocky?"  _Shake._  "What about Max?" He seemed to mull over it for a moment, before nodding his head. 

"Okay, Max it is."


	5. 0.5

Every night after dinner, Morgan would sneak out of the castle and run down to a certain patch of grass. Once Max saw her, he would come out of the shadows and sit next to her, his head rested in her lap. Morgan would give him some food she smuggled under her robes and while he was eating, she'd tell him about everything going on with her. He must've understood what she said, as he'd wag his tail at all the good stuff and lower his ears at all the bad stuff.

The hungry dog had just finished his food. "I just don't know Max, she hasn't said anything about the boggart since the night we met." He seemed to frown, as he stood up and leaned his face right up next to hers. He then rested it in the crook of her neck, bringing his enormousness body to sit on her. She couldn't help but smile as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her own head on his fur.

"I need to remember to bring down a brush for you." She muttered after a lengthy amount of time . His fur was still extremely matted but he had gained a significant amount of weight since their first meeting. "Might even need to find a way to give you a bath. I'm pretty sure this is blood." She pointed at a patch of extremely matted hair, stuck with dried red liquid. 

"I need to go, Max." She mumbled sadly, met by his whines. "I know boy, I don't want to go either." She pushed him off her, "but I've got homework to do and my friends will start to worry about me."

She then stood up, brushing dirt off her robes. "I don't think I'm bringing you enough food, I'll sneak some more out tomorrow."

She then wished Max farewell and made her way back up to the castle. Y/N had noticed her daughter's frequent disappearances but didn't question her about it. She knew that Morgan would never keep a secret from her, so she trusted her enough to come to her if something was wrong.

However, she had to admit that the close bond they shared seemed to be slipping. Morgan talked to her less and couldn't hold eye contact. She looked almost guilty like. But what did she have to be guilty about?

On the 31st of October, Y/N made her way to the grand hall with all the other teachers. She had taken a seat to Remus's left but couldn't seem to eat anything. Her stomach twisted and turned. Something was wrong.

"I'm going to go to bed early," she mumbled to Remus.

He looked up at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she lied. "Just tired."

She then pushed her chair back in and left the hall. Her mind wondered to the Gryffindor common room, a place where she made several memories. On instinct, she found herself walking towards it. The Gryffindor house's portrait, the Fat Lady, was in sight. However, a looming figure stood before it. He yelled and then a sound on ripping paper filled the hall.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" She spoke loudly, stepping into her duty as a Hogwarts teacher. 

The figure turned around, but still stood in darkness, making it impossible to make out any features. The broad soldiers and lack of curves told her it was a man.

"Sir, did you need help?" Her voice seemed to echo off the hallway.

The figure then headed towards her, the anticipation making the footsteps far too loud. He was just a step away now, a step away from the light.

"As you're asking, yes. I do require some resistance." 

Her blood ran cold. Even after all these years, his voice still sounded the same."S-Sirius." She scolded herself for stuttering as her heartbeat rang in her ears.

"Y/n." 

and then he stepped into the light.

He looked older than she remembered, his eyes sunken and hair long and matted. He wore an insane smile, blood splattered on his rag like clothes.

Y/n's mouth opened and closed a few times, but she just couldn't seem to find the words. She wanted to scream, to alert everyone, to get Harry and shield him, yet she was stuck to the floor.

"Cat got your tongue?" 

She blinked a few times, closing her mouth and shaking her head. "Are you going to kill me?" Her words were merely a whisper but they caused Sirius to burst into a laugh.

"Me kill you?" He laughed some more. "Don't be ridiculous."

Y/n's hands shook as she struggled to reach into her robes. "T-then why are you here?"

He took a few more steps, now standing at her side. "Someone's going to die, Y/N." He leaned into her, lips resting just above her ear. "But it won't be you."

She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the image of Morgan in a bath of her own blood, or Harry with a knife hanging out his heart. "Who?"

But she got no reply, she snapped her eyes open and searched for him. But he was gone.

"Okay, tell me again." Remus begged, pacing across the room.

"I didn't realise it, but he had just ripped the Fat Lady." She took a deep breath. "Then he told me he was going to kill someone."

Remus sighed, coming to stand in front of her. "what did he look like?"

"Worse then I could ever imagine." A tear rolled down her left cheek, she hurried to rub it away. "Is it bad that I still care so much?"

Remus came and kneeled beside her. "Of course not." He took both her hands in his. "I think you should go get some rest, clear your mind. We can go talk to Dumbledore again in the morning."

Morgan could never remember a time her mother had looked so stress, not including after the boggart. She sported dark bags under her eyes, a worried frown and even a nervous twitch. Every time she heard a noise, she'd jump 10 feet in the air. She even started looking behind her back every two seconds. Yet, she refused to speak about it. well, to Morgan anyway. She'd seen Y/N pull Harry away from class, whispering something to him. His expression turned from confusion to straight up fear, before he quickly gathered his cool and made his way back over to the group. 

"What was that about?" Ron asked, beating Morgan.

Harry looked at Morgan for a second, before talking in a hushed voice. "She warned me about Sirius and told me that he's planning to kill someone. She was absolutely terrified." 


	6. 0.6

The end of term came around sooner than expected and in no time Morgan found herself saying goodbye to Harry as her, Hermione and Ron headed to Hogsmeade. Of course, they didn't know that at that very moment, Fred and George cornered the fourth musketeer and handed him The Marauder's Map. So, they were all surprised when they were hanging around at Unusual Tastes and he seemed to vanish out of thin air.

"You've learned to apparate."

"Course I haven't." Harry laughed and quickly showed them the map.

"Damn, Fred and George gave it to you?' Morgan quirked her eyebrow.

Harry looked from the map to her. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"They've showed me before." She shook her head. "They really love it, it's how they pull most of their pranks off." She brought her hand up to rub his head with a cheeky smile. "So, they must  _really_  like you."

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled never the less. They then wondered the town for a while, pointing things out to Harry as they did. However, they eventually decided it would be best to head into The Three Broomsticks and grab a Butterbeer each.

So when they got in there, Ron volunteered to go get the drinks while the other three headed to the back, finding a vacant table between the window and a Christmas tree. They all sat down and shared some banter while they waited for Ron to come back with the drinks. When he did, they cheered to Christmas and each took a sip of the sweet liquid.

Their cheery mood didn't last long though, as almost immediately the door opened once again and Hagrid, Cornelius Fudge, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall stepped inside. Harry was instantly pushed under the table and Hermione moved the tree to cover them as the teachers took their seats. Madam Rosmerta then came to serve them their drinks, before joining in on their conversation.

Morgan, Harry, Ron and Hermione then listened in as they talked about Sirius Black. As they talked about Black being Harry's Godfather and as they also talked about how he was the cause of Lily and James's murder. Morgans heart broke at each word and Rosmerta then said something that spiked her attention even more.

"Well, how do you think Black even got into Hogwarts?" 

It was Fudge who responded, talking like he had a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'd ask Y/N and Morgan L/N. If there's anyone who would be secretly helping Black, it's them."

Morgan missed the rest of their conversation, only hearing white sound as she saw all them leave the premises. What on earth did he mean? Why on earth would her or her mother be helping Sirius Black try to kill Harry?

Dinner that night was noticeably awkward, with Ron and Hermione glancing back and forth at Harry and Morgan nervously. Morgan just stuck to her food, her mind running to fast to even bother partaking in conversation. Why would she be helping a psychopathic murderer? Why would her mother help him? Was she hiding something from her?

By the time she had finally gathered all her thoughts, Harry had already retired to his bed. She sent Ron up to see if he was awake, as she wanted nothing more than to talk and reassure him that she had never even met Black. But Ron came back empty handed, stating that he must be asleep. Morgan didn't feel like talking to her other two friends about the issue quiet yet but ached to talk to a certain ginger boy. So, she dismissed herself from the common room and made her way up to the fifth year male dorms.

She knocked on the door twice and was met by an energetic 'come in'. The only people there were identical, but Morgan had no trouble telling them apart. "Hi George," she nodded at one boy and then turned to the next. "Fred."

George stood up from his bed, "I'll give you guys some room." He wiggled his eyebrows as he went to the door and opened it. "Be safe, kids." He then left, closing the door behind him.

Fred had a gentle blush over his cheeks, so gentle in fact that Morgan could only just make it out. "You okay? You look troubled."

Instead of verbally replying, she made her way over to his bed. He welcomed her with open arms, wrapping her up in a hug as she sat beside him. "If you don't want to talk about it, then we won't."

This was just one of the reasons she liked Fred so much. He could go from being the cheery, prankster, twin to a caring and sweet man. Of course, he only reserved this side of him for Morgan but she didn't know that and nor did she need to.

After spending several minutes in silence, with her head resting directly above his heart, she figured out what to say. "It's been a long day."

So, they stayed like that. Morgan listening to Fred's heartbeat as he rubbed comforting circles on her back, his chin resting on the top of her head. Somewhere between the dusk and dawn, they laid back on the bed and fell asleep, Sirius no longer on her mind.

The following day, Y/N sat down at the head table for lunch. A few students entered through the main doors, including her daughter, Harry, Ron and Hermione. She sent a smile to them and even waved, but was only met a meek reply from three of them and an angry glare from her offspring.

As soon as lunch finished, Y/N speed walked through the doors and after the four of them. It didn't take long to catch up, quickly wrapping her hand around Morgan's forearm.

"What's wrong?" She got straight to the point, knowing it was easier to not play around.

Morgan turned back to her friends, telling them to go on and that she would catch up later. She then pulled her mother into a spare room, usually utilised as a classroom.

"What's wr-"

Morgan cut her off, her voice snappy. "How do you know Sirius Black."

Y/N froze for a second, sucking in a deep breath. "I- uh- what do you mean?"

"Long story short, it's said that if someone is helping him, it's you." Morgan crossed her arms. "So, why would it be you?"

Y/N seemed to zone out for a second, before shaking her head. "I have no idea, Morgan."

"Promise?"

Y/N gulped, deciding that lying would be easier then spitting out the truth. "Promise."


	7. 0.7

Morgan didn't believe her mother for one moment and decided she'd have to do the hard work to find out the truth. However, with all the snooping and research Morgan had been doing, Christmas Eve seemed to jump up from behind her. If Ron, Harry and Hermione hadn't talked about it, she wouldn't have even realised that Christmas was only hours away. But never the less, she went to bed with a tinge of excitement jumping around in her stomach.

She woke up early the next day to find a pile of presents at the bottom of her bed. She went over to them, quickly gathering them in her arms and taking them to the common room where she could share the experience with all her friends. It didn't take long for everyone to gather, including Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred and George. Once everyone was down there, they all collectively tore into their presents. From Harry she'd gotten a 'Hogwarts: A History' (she wanted to keep up with Hermione), Ron a large collection of her favourite sweet (chocolate frogs), Hermione a new luxury quill (max accidentally snapped her old one), Mrs. Weasley a yellow jumper with a blue 'M' (she pulled it on right away) and Christmas cake, and from Hagrid a black jumper (it was her favourite colour).

She was meeting with her mother that night to exchange gifts, so she smiled as she looked among her presents- thanking everyone in the room who had gifted something. She then got up, about to head into her bedroom to write a thank you note to Ron's mum, when she ran into someone. She was halfway up the stairs and fell back slightly, but the person reached forward and pulled her back.

"Oh- sorry." Her eyes caught the blue jumped with a yellow 'F' on it, her smile growing as she looked up at the ginger boy. "Hello Fred, merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Morgan." He grinned as he took his hands away and reached into his pocket. He then handed her a box wrapped in black. Her eyes widen for a moment as they studied the box, hesitantly taking it from him. "I wanted to give it to you in person."

She continued to study the box, both hands now firmly clasped around it. Her stomach turned as she glanced back up to Fred, only one thing on her mind. "I-I didn't get you a gift." Guilt flooded her, how could she have not gotten him something? She wanted to, but last year they didn't exchange gifts. "I'm sorry."

He took one long glance at her, his hand coming out to meet hers. Her stomach lurched now, he was going to take the gift back. How had she been so stupid? She must've really hurt him.

"It's okay." Instead of taking the box like she assumed, he just took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "I didn't want a gift." There was a weird tone of sincerity in his voice, making it smooth like honey and warm like a summers day.

"A-Are you sure?" She looked into his eyes now, searching for any sign he was lying. But there were none.

"Positive."

Her eyes went back to the box, "I'm still getting you a present. It might just take a while."

"You don't have too," he watched as she fiddled with the box.

"I honestly don't mind."

"I know you don't." She started to tear at the paper. "But I want too."She then skillfully unwrapped it, meeting a plain white box. She took a silent breath, before flicking the lid up. Her heart instantly melted as she saw it, a gentle blush rising to her cheeks. "Wow," she breathed out. Inside was a gold necklace, a charm shaped like the golden snitch hanging off it. She'd loved quidditch ever since her mother introduced it, but unlike Harry, she didn't have the natural skills to be a chaser. "Thank you, Fred."

Their hands were still somehow intertwined, so she used it as a tool to pull him into her. She then wrapped her arms around his waist, stuffing her face into his chest. "I love it." She'd said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his bright jumper. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as possible. "It's alright, love."

Her heart jumped at the pet name, snuggling further into him. They stayed like that for a while, before someone shouted from downstairs.

"Fred, where are you?" They instantly jumped apart, giving each other sheepish smiles, before heading in opposite directions.

Morgan finally went to her room, a feeling of complete and utter bliss filling her. She placed the white box on the end of her bed, reaching around her neck to unclasp the necklace she was currently wearing. She then put the one Fred gifted her on, hand embracing the snitch, as she closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale.When she opened them again, she saw another box on the end of her bed. It wasn't wrapped but Morgan was sure she hadn't seen it before.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she let go of the necklace and approached the mystery item. Her hand instantly went to her wand, using it as a tool to see if the box would strike back. When it didn't she reached forward and flicked the lid open. A note slipped out and onto her bed, but her attention was on the contents of the box.Inside sat a silver bracelet, a charm of silver dog and another of a paw hanged from it. She then reached for the letter, flipping it open and re-reading it a few times.

_Merry Christmas_

_Thank you for always taking care of me,_

_Max._

Could it be possible? How could Max, a large black dog, get into her bedroom without being seen? How did he write the note? When did it even get in here? How had he gotten his hands on a bracelet? Never mind an expensive looking one like this?

Her mind ran a million mile a minute, however, she still reached over and put the bracelet on. He would certainly be getting a visit tonight. After she wrote a letter to Mrs. Weasley and sent it off with Hedwig (with Harrys permission, of course), she made her way back down to the common room. Everyone was still in there, Fred and George in the corner talking while Harry and Ron played exploding snap and Hermione watched. She went and joined the threesome, taking a seat beside Harry.

"Nice necklace, Morgan, who gave it to you?" Harry asked after he stated 'checkmate.'

Fred and Morgan's eyes met across the room and some-how she knew not to blurt it out. "That's for me to know and you to not."

Ron rolled his eyes, before he caught a glimpse at her wrist. "What about that?"

Another gentle blush rose to Morgan's cheeks, but she looked down to try and cover it up. "Oh, it's from my friend Max.

"Morgan felt Fred's glance snap to her and could just tell his eyebrows were furrowed. In fact, she's pretty sure everyone looked at her.

"Who?"

"My friend..." She finally looked up, seeing as everyone stared at her. "Max," it came out more like a question.

"Max?" Ron tilted his head, "we don't know anyone named Max."

"Yeah, that's why he's my-" She pointed at herself, "friend."

She spared a peek at Fred and George. One had wide eyes and a slightly tilted head while the other had red brushing up his neck, strained smile and angry, squinted eyes. Guilt flooded her again, Fred was probably thinking that she was seeing someone else. But how would she explain to him that Max was a dog that could read and write?

"I-Uh, I'm going to go down to the hall quickly." She kept flicking her glaze at Fred, trying to tell him to come with her. But when she stood up, he merely crossed his arms and pouted, his eyes avoiding her. Just as she walked past them and towards the door, she saw George shove his brother and them whisper something inn his ear. Fred looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, but George simply got up and went over to the other three. "Fancy a game of exploding snap, Hermione?"

Morgan was just about to close the Fat Ladies door behind her when she saw Fred stand up from his seat, they made brief eye contact and then he walked in the opposite direction. She expelled a big breath and then closed the door.The Fat Lady saw her face and frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she lied. "Thank you."

She then went down the hallway and towards the great hall, she'd always found it calming in there. Her hand went to reach for the door handle to push the doors open, when someone else's hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped a bit, before turning around to face the stranger and was pleasantly surprised to see ginger hair. However, it wasn't the ginger she wanted to see."Hello, George." She greeted him, shining a smile.

He let out a breathy laugh. "Wow, you really can tell us apart."

"Of course, I can."

George shook his head and laughed a little, before going a bit more serious. "Look, Fred really likes you and finding out about this Max guy has really shook him up. I know it's a bit off character for me, but if you could just explain who Max is to me, I might be able to sort something out."

"Thank you," she brought her arms to the sides of her arms, rubbing them through her jumper. "Honestly, I don't know who Max is. I only knew him as a dog that I give food to and sit with." She shrugged, "but I'm starting to think he may be an Animagus. I found this," she pointed at her bracelet, "in my room with a note. He said, 'thanks for always taking care of me.' But I've never actually seen him in human form before."

George nodded, "so, he must be a part of Gryffindor."

"I should think so, otherwise he wouldn't be able to drop it off in my room."

Morgan then cleared a few more things up for George. Finally, when they were in a mutual understanding George said goodbye. "I'll go talk to Fred." And then he left her in the hallway, heading back to the common room.


End file.
